If I believed everything I read about these "green" products, I'd be throwing back chlorophyll and wheatgrass shots, making barley grass concoctions and swallowing chlorella tablets every few hours. My blood would also be green… but hey, it would be alkaline!

Suffice to say, taking all four is overkill. Pick one, and you'll benefit from the ascribed detoxifying and blood alkalizing properties of all four!

My personal preference: liquid chlorophyll. It's 100% cholophyll versus less than 70% for wheatgrass, barley grass and chlorella. Most of the benefits from these super-green add-ons are derived from the chlorophyll content.

So why should you drink liquid green stuff that stains your teeth and makes your stool green? Here are my top five reasons:

1. It'srescue remedy for coffee drinkers.

Coffee and chlorophyll are like yin and yang. Coffee is acidic and chlorophyll is alkaline. A shot of chlorophyll followed by a shot of espresso: the perfect pH match.

2. So you can eat tuna again.

Sometimes, just sometimes, you want to eat hamachi without fear of mercury toxicity. Chlorophyll gives your cells a cuddle and protects them from heavy metal toxicity. Thank you, chlorophyll, I'm off to get my spicy tuna roll now.

3. Your BFF gave you a non-organic green juice.

Thanks for the juice..and pesticides. Chlorophyll salvages your friendship by binding up the toxic pesticide residue and excreting it from the body.

4. You were boozing.

First, forgive yourself. Next, treat your self-induced illness with chlorophyll. Chlorophyll not only helps your liver by taking on some of last night's toxin removal project; it also nourishes your liver with oxygen and magnesium.

5. You didn't get enough sleep.

Chlorophyll is the life-force of plants. As you ingest it, you'll take on its vibrational energy. While it's not as good as a lazy sleep-in, it will help carry you through the day with more clarity and zest.

Dana James

Triple Board Certified Functional Nutritionist

Dana James, M.S., CNS, CDN, is a Columbia University–educated nutritional therapist and founder of Food Coach NYC. She holds her master's in clinical nutrition and is trained in nutrition biochemistry, functional medicine, and cognitive behavioral therapy. She believes that food should be viewed as nourishing, joyful, and fundamental to self-care. Her goal is to help women break their antagonist (and often obsessive) relationship with food and their bodies. She believes that true beauty stems from grace, dignity, and embracing our idiosyncrasies that make us unique and imperfect.
Dana created the "How to Ditch Sugar" video series for mindbodygreen. Check out the program here: How to Ditch Sugar.
Dana coaches one on one, runs workshops in NYC and LA, and holds tele-seminars on various topics that help women lead a more beautiful and balanced life. To connect more with Dana, check out her Instagram account and sign up for her biweekly Sunday-evening emails.